The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) announces a new resource for investigators in the field of schizophrenia research. The Schizophrenia Trials Network (STN), (http://www.stn.unc.edu), has been established to support the conduct of treatment trials on schizophrenia treatment effectiveness in a community setting. This notice invites researchers to explore working collaboratively with the STN in conducting clinical trials, or research with a significant translational component (e.g., genetics, behavior, and environment) related to schizophrenia treatment. Projects for the STN are expected to have major public health significance and require the expertise and resources available on the research network.

The STN is a network of clinics and investigative teams (currently 30 sites) that NIMH is supporting to facilitate clinical trials. The infrastructure for the network of clinical sites/investigators and the administrative core is funded through a five-year contract with the collaborating group ( University of North Carolina ) that conducted the CATIE trial. It is anticipated that studies conducted using the STN resource may be rapidly and efficiently designed and carried out in “real world” populations that have demographic diversity. Projects can expect relatively rapid accrual of participants, and will utilize common instruments with established reliability.

The STN infrastructure provides access to a rapid and cost-efficient means of recruiting and testing subjects, but does not include funding for any individual clinical trials, nor for the data management that a clinical trial would require. Thus, investigators interested in conducting trials on the network must seek support for the conduct of specific trials through other funding sources, such as NIH grants or public/private partnerships.